Air gun



Oct. 4, 1938. c. F. LEFEVER' AIR GUN Filed Sept. 21, 1936 INVENTOR CHARLES F. LEFEVER ATTORNEYS- Patented Oct. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES AIR GUN Charles F. Lefever, Plymouth,,Mich., assignor to Daisy Manufacturing Company, Plymouth,

Mich., a corporation of Michigan I Application September 21, 1936, Serial No. 101,837

Claims.

The invention relates to air guns of that type in which the projectile is propelled by air compressed by a spring-actuated plunger. It is the object of the invention to obtain a construction more particularly designed for use as a pistol having various advantageous features and to this end the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing: 1

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through the gun;

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the frame and rip;

Figure 4 is a side elevation thereof; Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 1. In the manufacture of spring-actuated air guns various constructions have been devised for compressing the spring and loading the gun 2O ready for firing. With the present invention this is accomplished by an axial sliding movement of the barrel in relation to the frame .for supporting the same. This isparticularly advantageous in the construction of -a piston hav- 2 ing a comparatively short barrel and'a hand grip attached to the frame. As shown, A is the outer or so-called false barrel which contains in the forward portion thereof the true barrel B and in rear of this a piston abutment C and air com- 30 pression cylinder D. The true barrel B prefer.-

ably has attached thereto a closure cap E for the forward end of the false barrel and is pro-v vided at its rear end with a screw threaded portion F for engagement withrthe abutment C. The space surrounding the true barrel and within the false barrel forms a shot magazine, thegshot being directed by a guide G successively through an aperture in the rear end of the true barrel and being yieldably held against displacement by a spring I-I. Preferably, the portion A of the false barrel which contains the shot magazine and true barrel is formed separate from the rear portion A The portion A has a contracted rear end A which telescopically engages the for- I ward end of the air compression cylinder D, the abutment C being first secured in said contracted end portion. The rear portion A of the false barrel is then telescopically engaged with the forward portion A and secured thereto by spotwelding or other suitable means. This rear portion A has a depending pair of flanges I in its forward portion, said flanges being spot-welded or otherwise secured to each other and having a longitudinally extending slot I'therein. In rear of this flange portion the section A has spaced depending flanges J for embracing and slidably k engaging the frame as hereinafter described.

The frame K is formed of a pair of complementary stampings each including a longitudinally extending portion K, a trigger guard K a hand grip portion K and an upwardly extending spring abutment portion K. The portions K are spaced to leave a channel therebetween and to lie adjacent to the flanges J of the barrel. The portion K is adapted to fit the interior of the barrel and to be slidably engaged therewith through the rear end thereof. At the forward end of the portion K is an insert L of U-shaped cross sectionwhich embraces the flanges I and has a portion L thereof pressed inward to form a bearing'on said flanges. This reinforcement may be secured in the channel of the portion K preferably by spot-welding. There is also an aperture for a pin M which passes through the longitudinal slot I in' the member 1. Thus by means of this pin engaging the slot I together with the portion K slidable within the portion A of the barrel, said barrel may be slid upon the frame a distance equal to the length of the slot I. The complementary stampings of the frame are secured to each other preferably by the spot-welding to the member L as previously described and by providing the handle portion with depressed panels K with a connecting pin K centrally thereof and riveted at its opposite ends.

Within the air compression cylinder D is a pistonN having a rearwardly extending shank N. Preferably, the shank N is of cylindrical form having a recess'in its forward end for receiving a smaller shank N on the piston N,this permitting of clamping the packing cup N The parts are then secured to each other by a cross pin N The rear end of the shank N has a groove N formed therein and forming ashoulder N for engagement'with the sear. Surrounding'the shank N is a spring 0 the forward end of which bears against a washer 0 adjacent to the cup- N whilethe rear end of the spring is adapted to bear against the abutment K The bearing for the spring within this abutment is preferably formed by a cylindrical insert 1? in the portion K this also forming a guide for slidably engaging the plunger N. The lower part of the insert is cut away at P for the passage of the sear and the insert is secured to the member K preferably by spot-welding. The scar Q is preferably formed of sheet metal and at its rear end is attached to the member K by a cross pin Q. Forward of this pivotal point pressed air into the barrel.

is an upwardly projecting hook Q for engaging the shoulder N of the shank N and a spring R coiled about the pivot Q and having opposite end portions R and R serves to yieldably move the hook Q into engagement with said shoulder. Beyond this hook portion-the sear has a downwardly extending arm Q having a hook engagement with the trigger member S. This trigger member extends forward into the opening within the trigger guard K and has a downwardly extending portion S forming a finger grip and a forwardly projecting portions forming a guide. This portion S slidably engages the space between the outer and inner marginal flanges T and 'I" on the trigger guard K1, by means of which longitudinal movement of the trigger is permitted, while holding the same from lateral displacement.

With the construction as thus far described, to assemble the gun the piston N, together with the spring surrounding the shank N, is inserted in the cylinder D, said piston being provided with the usual forwardly projecting tube U engaging the rear end of the true barrel B and which functions to first mechanically dislodge the projectile and then to convey com- The barrelB is then engaged with the frame by first inserting the portion K within the rear end of the portion A of the barrel then engaging the flanges I with the channel in the member L and inserting the pin M to pass through the slot I. The rear end of the barrel is then closed by a cap member V which is held in position by a screw or pin V. In normal position the pin M will be at the forward end of the slotI, the piston N will bear against the abutment C and the spring 0 will have its forward end bearing against the piston and its rear end against the member P. To compress the spring the barrel B is slid rearward on the frame causing the abutment C to move the piston N rearward until the shank N is inserted within the member P and into a position for engagement of the sear Q therewith. This will cause the hook Q on the sear to engage the shoulder N on the shank which will prevent forward movement of the piston and shank when the barrel is returned to its normal forward position. This retraction of the piston will also The gun barrel is provided with the usual sights as indicated at W and W and the sides of the barrel are preferably corrugated or roughened, as indicated at W to facilitate grasping the same when the barrel is drawn rearward. The whole construction is one which can be easily manufactured and easily operated.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A gun comprising a false barrel formed of sheet metal having a downwardly extending longitudinally slotted flange on a portion of its underside and spaced flanges in rear thereof leaving an open slot, a true barrel in the forward portion of said false barrel, an air compression cylinder in rear of said true barrel, 9. piston abutment at the forward end of said cylinder, a piston in said cylinder having a rearwardly extending shank, and a spring sleeved upon said shank and bearing at its forward end against said piston; in combination with a frame beneath said barrel having a longitudinally extending portion for embracing said slotted flange and a portion embraced by said spaced flanges having an upward projection fitting and slidable within said false barrel, a bushing within said upward projection forming an abutment against which said spring is compressed in the rearward movement of said barrel on said frame and also constituting a guide for said piston shank, a sear pivotally mounted in said upward projection and engageable with said piston'shank in the compressed position of the spring, a pin passing through said longi-- tudinally slotted flange in the portion of the frame embracing the same to limit the sliding I movement of said barrel on said frame, and a trigger on said frame for releasing said sear..

2. A gun comprising a false barrel having a forward section formed of sheet metal with a slightly contracted portion at the rearend of said forward section, a piston'abutment in said contract-- ecl portion, an air compression'cylinder having its forward .end telescopically engaging said contracted portion and secured thereto, a true barrel within said false barrel section extending forward from said abutment, a rear section of said false barrel formed of sheet metal and having downsaid barrel formed of complementary stampings having a portion for embracing said downwardly extending abutting flanges, a portion in rear thereof embraced by said spaced flanges and an upward projection on said rear portion fitting within said false barrel and forming a spring abutment, a sear pivotally mounted in said upward projection having a portion extending forward and downward between said complementary stampings with ahook portion for engaging said piston shank in the compressed position of the spring, a pin extending through said slotted flange and the portion of said frame'embraced thereby serving to limit the sliding movement of said barrel on said frame, and a trigger on sai frame for releasing said sear.

3. A gun comprising a barrel containing an air cylinder, a piston in said cylinder having a rearwardly extending shank and a spring sleeved upon said shank, said barrel having a downwardly ex-' tending longitudinally slotted flange on a portion of its underside and spaced .flangeson another portion thereof; in combination with a frame beneath said barrel formed of complementary stampings having a longitudinally extending channel portion for embracing said slotted flange and a reinforcement in said channel portion forming a bearing for'said flange with a cross pin extending through said reinforcing portion compressed position of the spring, and a trigger slidable between the complementary stampings of said frame and connected to said sear to release the same,

4. A gun comprising a barrel containing an air compression cylinder, a piston therein having a rearwardly extending shank and a spring sleeved upon said shank; in combination with a frame beneath said barrel on which it is longitudinally slidably mounted, said frame being formed of complementary stampings including a hand grip portion, a trigger guard portion and an upwardly projecting portion extending within said barrel and constituting a piston abutment against which said spring is compressed during the rearward movement of said barrel, a sear pivoted in said upward extension and having a forwardly and downwardly extending portion between the complementary stampings with a hook for engaging said piston shank when said spring is compressed, and a trigger slidable between said complementary stampings, connected at its rear end to said sear and having a portion at its forward end guided in said trigger guard portion whereby the rearward movement of said trigger will release said sear.

5. A gun comprising a barrel containing an air compression cylinder, a piston therein having a rearwardly extending shank and a spring sleeved upon said shank; in combination with a frame beneath said barrel on which it is slidably mounted formed of complementary stampings having a longitudinally extending upwardly opening channel portion, a trigger guard portion beneath the same, a hand grip portion in rear of said trigger guard portion and an upwardly projecting portion at the rear end extending within said barrel and constituting a piston abutment against which said spring is compressed in the rearward movement of said barrel on said frame,-a reinforcement within said channel portion for engaging a flange on the underside of said barrel, a sear pivotally mounted in the upward extension of said frame and having a forwardly and downwardly extending portion, a trigger slidable'between said complementary stampings connected at its rear end to said sear and a finger on said trigger guided in said trigger guard.

CHARLES F. LEFEVER. 

